Volunteer Clearances

Legislation in Pennsylvania requires community members and parents to obtain clearances in order to volunteer in our schools. If you have previously submitted your clearances to the Human Resources office, they are good for five (5) years from the date of the clearance.

Fees for Pennsylvania Criminal Record Check and Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance will be waived for volunteers whose applications are filed after July 25, 2015, according to state officials.

If you have been a Pennsylvania resident for the past ten (10) years, and have not been convicted of enumerated offenses, you may submit the Affidavit at this link, in lieu of the FBI fingerprinting check.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Sheron Brown-Greene, Human Resources Office at 610-853-5900 ext.7000.

Who Needs Clearances
Directions for Clearances

Who Needs Clearances

Who Needs Clearances

Under Act 153 of 2014 (Amendments to the Child Protective Services Law) effective December 31, 2014, as amended by Act 15 of 2015, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania now mandates that volunteers in schools must obtain and submit the clearances set forth below in order to be considered for volunteer positions.

Volunteer – is an adult, whose role is more than that of a visitor, who voluntarily offers a service to the district without receiving compensation from the district. A volunteer is not a school employee.

The two (2) classifications of volunteers are:

Position Volunteer - an adult applying for or holding an unpaid position with a district school or a program, activity or service, as a person responsible for children’s welfare or having direct volunteer contact with children. Examples include but are not limited to, field trip chaperones, tutors, coaches, activity advisors, recess or library aides, etc., which will require clearances.
Guest Volunteer - an adult who voluntarily provides a service to the district, without compensation, who: (1) works directly under the supervision and direction of a district administrator, teacher, or other members of the district staff; and (2) does not have direct volunteer contact as defined above. Examples include, but are not limited to, volunteering to assist in classroom celebrations, school assemblies, or school concerts; reading to students; collecting tickets at sporting events; working concession stands; participating in “Career Day,” etc., which will not require clearances. An individual volunteering in this capacity will still be required to provide a state driver's license/ID for main office staff to run through the district’s Raptor security system.

Directions for Clearances

Directions for Clearances

For those who wish to be a School Volunteer, state law now requires the Pennsylvania Criminal History Record (Act 34), Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 151) and FBI Federal Criminal History Record check, and they are updated every five (5) years in order to continue as a volunteer. Original forms must be brought to the office of the school where you will volunteer and they will be forwarded to the District‘s central administrative offices for review.

There is now an alternative to the FBI check if you have resided in Pennsylvania for the last ten years. Please see below for the link to the Affidavit you need to submit.

The process can be initiated online and produces clearances quickly. Please follow the links below for each of the three (3) clearances.

1. The Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Check (Act 34) can be done online with almost immediate confirmation. Volunteers are no longer required to pay a fee after July 25, 2015.

Go to https://epatch.pa.gov and click on “New Volunteer Record Check” and follow the instructions. At the end of the process, please print the certification form as proof of submission.

2. The Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 151) can be completed online for the quickest result.

Go to https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS You will create a login for your Keystone ID#. This includes a combination of letters and numbers you create for yourself. A credit card is required for the $10 processing fee.

3. The FBI Federal Criminal History Record requires a 2-step process including online registration and fingerprinting taken digitally at a registered site. However, if you have been a Pennsylvania resident for the past ten (10) years, and have not been convicted of enumerated offenses, you may submit the Affidavit at this link, in lieu of the FBI fingerprinting check.

Go to https://uenroll.identogo.com/ to register. There is a fee for this clearance which includes an automatically mailed unofficial copy of the results to the applicant. The volunteer code is 1KG6ZJ
Once you have registered, proceed to an approved fingerprinting site to be digitally fingerprinted.
Please bring all clearance documentation in a sealed envelope with your name to the school office for review by central administration.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Sheron Brown-Greene, Human Resources Office at 610-853-5900 ext.7000.